G20 presidency matter of pride for India: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

JAIPUR (RAJASTHAN): Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said that the chairmanship of G20 is a matter of pride for the country adding that since independence till today all the prime ministers have contributed to the development of India.

Gehlot was addressing a meeting related to the G20 Summit chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conference from the Chief Minister's residence on Friday.

"Since independence, all the Prime Ministers have contributed to India's development. He said that the chairmanship of G-20 is a matter of pride for the country. After independence, India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru gave ideas of global welfare such 'Panchsheel principle' and the Non-Aligned Movement, he said.

The Non-Aligned Conference was also held in India," he said. The Chief Minister said that the member countries of G-20 have a major share in the world's economy and population. It is a great platform to showcase the country's culture at the global level.

Gehlot said that this global summit is going to leave an indelible impression of Indian culture on the world and become a medium to turn the coming decade into India's decade. During the meeting, the Prime Minister gave guidelines for documentation of all G-20 events, citing the example of the G-20 Sherpa meeting held in Udaipur, so that it can be used in future events.

He expressed his gratitude for the arrangements made by the Rajasthan government during the G-20 Sherpa meeting in Udaipur, with its hospitality, local cuisine, and traditional Rajasthani ways of welcoming the sherpas.

During the event, the Sherpas praised the excellent use of information technology in digital transactions in Rajasthan. It was said in the presentation that Rajasthan has set high standards in organizing G-20 meetings, which are inspirational for other states. Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra, Home Minister Amit Shah, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Governors, Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors of various states were present.

PM Modi on Friday chaired a meeting of the Governors and chief ministers of states and Lt Governors of Union Territories over video-conferencing to discuss aspects relating to India's G20 Presidency. The Prime Minister stated that India's G20 Presidency belongs to the entire nation, and is a unique opportunity to showcase the country's strengths.

The Prime Minister further emphasized on the importance of teamwork and sought the cooperation of the states/UTs in the organisation of various G20 events.

According to the official press release, PM Modi pointed out that the G20 Presidency would help showcase parts of India beyond the conventional big metros, thus bringing out the uniqueness of each part of our country.

A number of Governors, chief ministers, and Lt Governors shared their thoughts during the meeting, emphasising on the preparations being done by the states to host the G20 meetings.